This invention relates to an apparatus for feeding a fiber lap to the input of a carding machine or a roller card unit and is of the type which has an upper or reserve chute which is charged with fiber tufts from above and a lower or feed chute which is situated underneath the reserve chute and whose lower, discharge end supplies the fiber lap formed from the fiber tufts in the feed chute. For this purpose, the fiber tufts are compressed in the feed chute with the aid of a circulating air stream which enters at the top of the feed chute and exits the same through air outlet openings at its lower end. Between the outlet of the reserve chute and the inlet of the feed chute there is arranged an opening roller which forwards the tufts from the reserve chute to the feed chute. The fiber tuft is supplied to the opening roller by a feed roller which is situated at the lower end of the reserve chute.
According to prior art constructions, the compressing air stream, flowing from the driving fan, enters into an enlarged space which essentially is situated adjacent a lateral peripheral face of the opening roller. In this space, the fiber tufts are thrown against the opening roller, their delivery is taken over by the compressing air stream and subsequently they are introduced into the feed chute whose upper (inlet) opening is arranged approximately tangentially to the opening roller. It is a disadvantage of this arrangement that the compressing air stream is not tightly guided in the enlarged space.